How much rainfall does it take to grow a cut of silage?

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
In the Wheat belt in western Australia an old farmer I worked for there told me you only needed 4" of rain to grow a fantastic wheat crop, but it needed to rain at exactly the right time!
Having had only 8 mm in 6 weeks now I sympathise with you. It does look as if it will change when we get into May.
Let us hope the old saying of "a cool wet May fills the barns with hay" is true.
 

firther

Member
Location
holmfirth
Depends how big a cut you want! We've had none for 5 weeks now, been grand for lambing but grass not growing, i keep thinking 'if we could just have 1 hour of that torrential rain we had for all jan and feb'....but when it starts it no doubt wont stop!

i were talking to someone about this the other day, its either all or nothing. When were last time we got april showers, because i can't remember
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
i were talking to someone about this the other day, its either all or nothing. When were last time we got april showers, because i can't remember
11mm this year with 32 days at one point of no rain, last year was 86mm in April.
There’s a serious amount of people been mowing these last 7-10 days down here, cut it off and start fresh once the rain comes I assume - with some of the fert still visible on the ground around it!
 

Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
Just as we want to start silaging(middle of may) it will come wet for a fortnight-three weeks, same as when we wanted to turn out the cold winds and frosts rolled in
 

firther

Member
Location
holmfirth
11mm this year with 32 days at one point of no rain, last year was 86mm in April.
There’s a serious amount of people been mowing these last 7-10 days down here, cut it off and start fresh once the rain comes I assume - with some of the fert still visible on the ground around it!

I've not put much fert down yet untill we get some rain, no doubt it will come at some stage?
 


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